Oil well pump



F. E. STEELE -0IL WELL PUMP June 4, 1940.

Filed March 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

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F E STEELE $2 1 TTORN 1Z F. E. STEELE on. WELL PUMP June 4, 1940.

Filed March 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

R. Y m M NE T T lg IA. c F V: B

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES OIL WELL PUMP Francis E. Steele, Shreveport, La., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 14, 1938, Serial No. 195,902

3 Claims.

This invention relat.es to oil well' pumps and more particularly to an oil well pump employing gas pressure to lift the oil from the well.

An important object of the invention is to provide a pumping apparatus which may be located at the bottom of the Well and having a cylinder means which, by rotation imparted to the cylinder from the surface of the ground, may alternately be connected with gas under pressure to force oil from the accumulation chamber of the pump and to close off the gas pressure to allow the accumulation chamber to be exhausted of gas and to refill with oil.

A further object of the invention resides in its simplicity of design, the small number of working parts, economics of operation and the fact that it provides for surface control of a bottom hole gas operated displacement pump.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of the pump structure showing the pump in the well tubing strings and surface equipment,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view\of the pump apparatus showing the cylinder in position to exhaust the accumulation chamber of gas,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional'view of the pump apparatus showing the cylinder in position to allow the gas under pressure to enter into the accumulation chamber.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the pump apparatus tmmn on the line 4-4, of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the pump apparatus taken on the line 6-6, of Fig. 3,

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the pump set when the pump mechanism is removed, taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral Ill represents the casing which lines the well hole and extends from the surface of the ground to the well bottom. The outer and inner tubing strings are represented by the numerals II and I2having a space I3 therebetween which communicates with a source of pressure gas through the inlet pipe I5. The space I4 between the outer tubing string II and the casing I communicates with the outlet pipe I6 and serves to conduct the gas exhausted from the accumulation chamber to the atmosphere. Pipe I 1 serves to conduct the oil flowing from the reservoir through the tubing string I2, to storage.

Mounted on the surface of the ground is the motor I8 which rotates the gear I9. Gear I9 in turn rotates the gear 20 which has gear 2| keyed to the same shaft. Gear 2| meshes with gear 22 which is keyed rigidly to the inner tubing string I2. Inner tubing string I2 is supported by bearings 23 and is rotated by the motor and gear mechanism to turn the cylinder in the pump mechanism in the bottom of the well to be more fully explained later.

The casing II extends down into the well hole 24 and has the bull plug or protecting device 25 mounted thereon which contacts the bottom of the well and serves to protect the standing valve 26 from the mud or accumulations of sand in the bottom of the hole. Above the standing valve 26 is a space 21 which is the accumulation chamber when the pump mechanism is mounted in the well. Extending inwardly from the tubing string II and at the top of the accumulation chamber is a flange 28 which has a seat portion to receive the pump mechanism when 25 lowered within the outer tubing II. The flange 28 has a channel or outlet portion 29 therethrough which passage communicates with the space I4 between the casing I0 and outer tubing II.

The flange or projection 50 on the seat 28 aligns the barrel 32 when placed on the seat 28 and insures against rotation of the barrel if the plug should become stuck to the barrel.

Mounted on the end of the inner tubing I2 by means of screw threads 3| is 'the pump mechanism 30 which has a portion on the end thereof to seat and seal with the seat 28 on the flange in the outer striiig of tubing I I. The pump mechanism 30 is made up of an outer cylindrical memher or barrel 32 which has the inner cylindrical plug member 33 rotatably mounted therein. The two members 32 and 33 are held in assembled relation by the screw thimble 34 which is attached by the screw threads 35 to the outer cylindrical member or barrel 32 and the shoulder portion of the thimble contacts the upper end of the plug to hold the same assembled in the member 32. Bearings 36 are mounted in the space 31 in the thimble 34 to relieve friction and add support to the inner tubing I2 when the tubing is rotated.

In the side wall of the member 32 is thepassage 40 which communicates with the passage I3 and the passage M in the plug member 33. The 5 fill) member 32 has the passage 52 in the opposite side from the passage 40, which communicates with the passage 40 through the passage M in the plug member when the passages are aligned as shown in Fig. 4. Passage 43 extends vertically through the member 32 and terminates in the lower end of the member 32, thus establishing communication between the accumulation chamber and the space l3 when the plug is in the position shown in Fig. 3. In the lower end of the member 32, is the branch passage 44 which connects with the passage 43 to establish communication through the passage 45 in the plug, passage 46 in the lower end of the member 32 and thence through passage 29 in the seat portion to the space M to exhaust the pressure gas from the accumulation chamber when the plug is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The plug member has a central passage 49 extending the length of the plug and a nipple ll projecting into the accumulation chamber with a check valve Q8 therein, to conduct the flow of oil from the accumulation chamber 21 to the inner tubing string I2 and then to the surface of the ground. The check valve 68 prevents flow of the oil from the tubing string l2 back into the accumulation chamber.

In operation, the outer tubing string H has already been set within the well and the pump mechanism 30 on the end of the tubing string i2 has been lowered in the tubing H and seated on the seat 28. The pump mechanism at and the inner tubing I2 can thus be removed from the well without removing the outer tubing ii. The gearing at the surface of the ground has been assembled and the string of tubing l2 with the plug 33 on the end thereof is ready to be rotated. The pressure in the well is such that the accumulation chamber 27 will be filled with liquid and as the plug rotates, at one point in its rotation, the passage H in the plug will align with the passages 10 and 52, thus placing the space 83 with the gas under pressure from the line i5 in communication with the accumulation chamber 27 to force the liquid accumulated in the chamber through the nipple ll, check valve 18, passage 69, into the inner tubing i2 and thus to the surface of the ground. Fig. 4 shows the alignment of the passages when the plug is in this position of its rotation. As the plug continues to rotate the passage l! will move out of alignment with passages l and 32, thus closing off the supply of gas under pressure to the accumulation chamber. As the plug continues to rotate, the passage 34 in the plug is brought into alignment with passages 44 and 56, thus placing the accumulation chamber in communication with the space M through passages 33, M, 35, J6 and 29 to exhaust the accumulation chamber of gas either high pressure or reservoir, thus allowing the chamber to be filled again with liquid from the well. The plug continues to rotate thus making the operation an alternate one of admitting gas under pressure to the accumulation chamber and exhausting the chamber to allow the chamber to fill again with liquid. The speed with which the inner tubing is rotated is dependent upon the conditions found in the well, but for general practice it has been found that a slow speed is preferable, as an example, approximately two to twenty revolutions per minute.

It is noted that the plug 33 is cut away around the openings ll and 15 so that the ports ll and M are closed for only a very short period of the rotation of the plug, If desired, an expansion joint i may be incorporated in the rotatable tubing string to care for any expansion or contraction of the tubing. Applicant makes no claim to any particular type of expansion joint but it must be one that will allow expansion and contraction of the tubing string and at the same time transmit torque.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a deep well lifting means, inner and outer tubing members, a barrel member mounted on the end of the inner tubing member, a shoulder on the inner wall of the outer tubing member providing a seat for the barrel member, said seat portion having atransverse opening therethrough, a plug member attached to the inner tubing member having a longitudinal conduit through the center thereof and rotatable in said barrel by means of turning the inner tubing member from the surface of the ground, a liquid accumulation chamber located below said barrel member, a longitudinal conduit in the bottom of the barrel member connecting the accumulation chamber with the conduit in the center of the plug member and the inner tubing member, an opening in the upper end of the barrel connecting with the space between the inner and outer tubing members, a conduit in the wall of the barrel having a transverse portion directly opposite the first named opening in the barrel and a portion running longitudinally of the barrel connecting with the top of the accumulation chamber, a second passage in the lower portion of the barrel connecting with the transverse opening in the seat portion, transverse passages in the upper and lower portions of the plug member alternately aligning with the openings in the barrel upon rotation of the plug member to admit gas under pressure from the space between the inner and outer tubing to the accumulation chamber to force the liquid therein upwardly through the lower end of the barrel plug member and into the inner tubing and then by continuing rotation of the plug member closing off said gas admission openings and opening the passages in the lower portion of the barrel to exhaust the gas under pressure from the accumulation chamber to the formation.

2. In a deep well lifting means, inner and outer tubing members, a barrel member mounted on the end of the inner tubing member, a shoulder on the inner wall of the outer tubing member providing a seat for the barrel member, said seat portion having a transverse opening therethrough, a plug member attached to the inner tubing member having a longitudinal conduit through the center thereof and rotatable in said barrel by means of turning the inner tubing member from the surface of the ground, a liquid accumulation chamber located below said barrel member and formed in the outer tubing by the barrel member seating on the shoulder in the outer tubing, a longitudinal conduit in the bottom of the barrel member connecting the accumulation chamber with the conduit in the center of the plug member and the inner tubin member, an opening in the upper end of the barrel connecting with the space between the inner and outer tubing members, a conduit in the wall of the barrel having a transverse portion directly opposite the first named opening in the barrel and a portion running longitudinally of the barrel connecting with the top of the accumulation chamber, a second passage in the lower portion of the barrel connecting with the transverse opening in the seat portion, transverse passages in the upper and lower portions of the plug member alternately aligning with the openings in the barrel upon rotation of the plug member to admit gas under pressure from the space between the inner and outer tubing to the accumulation chamber to force the liquid therein upwardly through the lower end of the barrel plug member and into the inner tubing and then by continuing rotation of the plug member closing off said gas admission openings and opening the passages in the lower portion of the barrel to exhaust the gas under pressure from the accumulation chamber to the formation.

3. In a deep well lifting means, inner and outer tubing members with a flexible joint in the inner member to allow for expansion and contraction of the inner tubing, a barrel member mounted on the end of the inner tubing member, a shoulder on the inner wall of the outer tubing member providing a seat for the barrel member, said seat portion having a transverse opening therethrough, a plug member attached to the inner tubing member having a longitudinal conduit through the center thereof and rotatable in said barrel by means of turning the inner tubing member from the surface of the ground, a liquid accumulation chamber located below said barrel member and formed in the outer tubing by the barrel member seating on the shoulder in the outer tubing, a longitudinal conduit in the bottom of the barrel member connecting the accumulation chamber with the conduit in the center of the plug member and the inner tubing member, an opening in the upper end of the barrel connecting with the space between the inner and outer tubing members, a conduit in the Wall of the barrel having a transverse portion directly opposite the first named opening in the barrel and a portion running longitudinally of the barrel connecting with the top of the accumulation chamber, a second passage in the lower portion of the barrel connecting with the transverse opening in the sea-t portion, transverse passages in the upper and lower portions of the plug member alternately aligning with the openings in the barrel upon rotation of the plug member to admit gas under pressure from the space between the inner and outer tubing to the accumulation chamber to force the liquid therein upwardly through the lower end of the barrel plug member and into the inner tubing and then by continuing rotation of the plug member closing off said gas admission openings and opening the passages in the lower portion of the barrel to exhaust the gas under pressure from the accumulation chamber to the formation.

FRANCIS E. STEELE. 

